


we'll realign soon

by softsocky



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Short & Sweet, but couldnt because if i did id wake up cranky as fuck, but fuck it, i wrote this is at midday when i was in a desperate need for a nap, i'll probably be pissed i didnt write this later, in fact, so i could make it a longer thing, there isn't a whole heap of plot here, there's a whole heap of nothing going on, theres very poor character development too but w/e enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 23:37:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12782106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softsocky/pseuds/softsocky
Summary: Bin works in a travel agency and Dongmin just wants to escape.





	we'll realign soon

**Author's Note:**

> title from Novo Amor & Ed Tullet's terraform - beautiful song plz listen to it also this hasnt been proof read as usual sorry

Bin was world-savvy. He had experienced enough in his twenty years of life to know that it’s not always good, and sometimes sunshine doesn’t always follow the storm – sometimes, after the storm, all there is, is more rain. He learnt first-hand about life’s ups, and its many, many downs. He lived through its redeeming moments, its wins, its loses; the beautiful places he got to work and travel and _see._ He may not have a degree to show for it, and maybe he can’t tell you how the world works in all its technicalities, but he _was_ smart, he knew he was. He couldn’t tell you about the earth’s centre or the way land was formed, or how the ozone layer worked, but he could tell you how to get out of bed in the morning, how to avoid getting sick on public transport, and how to cope with unrequited love.

Dongmin was book-savvy. He had worked his ass off in high school to be the top of his classes, all so he could get into the university he wanted with a decent enough scholarship under his belt. He was meticulous with his work, knowing that one day, it would all pay off in the end: that one day he would have the job of his dreams and his career would take off. The sweat and the tears, and the hell of high school, _all of it_ – would all make sense.

But for now, Bin would stare longingly at the university campus across the road from the travel agency where he worked, wondering what it would be like to be _book smart_ , smart enough to work in the high-rise buildings in the city, smart enough for someone to fall in love with. On the other side of the street, Dongmin would walk to his biology and anatomy classes, and every time he did, he would stare at the shop front, where life existed in the form of plant tickets and tropical getaways, and wonder when he’d get his chance for freedom.

 

***

 

The first time Dongmin entered the travel agency, he decided it was going to be the last time, too. He had conjured up an unbelieve amount of courage to even cross the busy road to _get_ there, and he instantly regretted it. Behind the counter, wearing black-framed glasses, and a too-cute-to-be-real pink bowtie, that didn’t _quite_ look like uniform regulation, was the most attractive man Dongmin had ever witnessed. His hair was a midnight blue – or was it purple? – and his skin impeccably clear and soft, and even with his face, bored, staring at his computer screen, Dongmin noticed the natural upward curl of his lips. All Dongmin wanted to do was kiss the frown off his lips, smooth the crease between his eyebrows.

 _Creepy,_ Dongmin though. _When did I become so_ creepy _?_  

The handsome man in question looked up now, finally noticing Dongmin standing awkwardly in the entrance. His blank face automatically turned a cherry red, and morphed into a smile so vibrant Dongmin’s heart missed a beat. The sudden contortion from boredom to customer service expert was something he appeared to be well versed in.

“Good afternoon! Can I help you at all?” _Yes,_ Dongmin thought. _You most certainly can._

Dongmin huffed, smiling slightly. “I uh…I don’t actually know why I’m here.” He paused, watching the receptionists smile flow into something a little more confused. “I mean,” he started. “I want to travel but I don’t know where I want to go.”

The man pushed away from the desk, standing to his feet – he was about the same height as he was, but of a stronger build. Where Dongmin had twig-like limbs, this man did not – he was all toned muscle and athletic strength. “Well, I’m your man!”

Turns out _his man_ was named Moon Bin – he was twenty-one years old, just a few months younger than Dongmin himself, and was very passionate about travel. Fitting, it seemed, for his line of work. He had travelled to places Dongmin wasn’t sure he’d even heard of before, and although Bin had yet to write a book about his travel adventures, he said it was “ _in the works.”_ He promised to get Dongmin a signed copy when it came out. Dongmin asked about the hold up, to which he said, “ _I need one last adventure_.”

Bin showed Dongmin all their display walls – whether he wanted to see more of Asia, Europe, America, or Australasia, or _wherever_ _else_ he could imagine. Dongmin was overwhelmed, again questioning why he had even bothered in the first place. He was a _student,_ who worked part-time at a clothes store – he couldn’t afford to travel, even with the student discounts, so why was he even looking? As he glanced out the shop window, and over to the campus, he was reminded of why.

Before Dongmin left, swearing he’d never returned, he was sure to take a few catalogues with him, and left Bin with a small, blushing smile.

 

***

 

Dongmin, although generally punctual, was a student just like everyone else here – and often became a victim of severe procrastination. After getting home from the travel agency last night, showering (and _not_ thinking of how big Bin’s hands were, or how pretty his smile, or how strong his arms) and sliding under the covers, he flicked through pages upon pages of the travel catalogues he’d taken. This procrastination played hand-in-hand with his indecisiveness, and while he craved the white-sands of the Cook Islands, he was fascinated by history throughout major European cities.

He pushed the magazines away from him with an exhausted groan. His phone said it was one am, and that he had an 8am Animal Behaviour lecture. He was running late the next morning of course, and he blamed Moon Bin for that – because not only had he sparked his interest in travel, but he plagued his dreams, too, for the rest of the week.

He told himself – _swore to himself, actually –_ that he wouldn’t go back there. The travel agency was Off Limits, because Dongmin wasn’t sure if he could control his mouth around the warm and fuzzy Moon Bin. But Dongmin hadn’t been sleeping. He kept getting flashing images of his smile and his eyes in his dreams, and it was getting so bad that Dongmin was refraining from going to bed at normal hours. So, he convinced himself that it was for his health that he went back there, that it was like when you had a song stuck in your head: the best way to get rid of it was to listen to it once, and cure yourself of it. Visiting Bin again was going to be his cure.

When Dongmin walked through the door, into the heating, Bin wasn’t behind the desk. He wasn’t with a client either, in fact, Dongmin couldn’t see him at all. _Maybe he doesn’t work today?_ Just as he was about to turn around and decide that yes, this was a sign for him to never come back, a voice startled him from behind.

“Dongmin – you’re back!” Bin was wearing suspenders today, and his white button-up shirt had the first few buttons undone, so he could see the hollow of his throat. Dongmin’s mouth was suddenly very dry, and he realised how obvious his staring was.

Bin was too polite for his own good, though, because he made no comment. He walked back to his desk, put down a paper coffee cup and a takeaway container vaguely resembling a salad, and turned his attention back to Dongmin. “Have you decided on somewhere yet?

He had not. Obviously. So why was he here? What was he supposed to say?

_No, I actually have no intention of travelling. The only reason I’m here is to see your unbearably beautiful face again because you’ve been featuring in my dreams non-stop all week since we’ve met, and I can’t stop thinking about you in my waking life, either. Can I take you out for dinner?_

Instead, he said. “I just want to grab a few more catalogues.”

He got his catalogues, and he got some the next day, too. And the day after. And the one after that. In fact, Dongmin came in every day since then. Most of the time, it was to just talk to Bin – somewhere in between looking at brochures and stumbling over his words, Dongmin had learnt a bit more about him, about each other, and a friendship started to blossom. Bin learnt that Dongmin was studying to be a large-animal veterinarian, because his love for cattle and sheep and horses was so strong he could weep just thinking about it. His favourite colour was yellow, but he didn’t wear a lot if it because he didn’t think it suited him. He was meant to wear glasses, but always misplaced them, so his eyesight was no doubt deteriorating much faster than it had to – and that he really, really needed to escape.

Bin was much more of an open-book. He was someone who wanted to do so much but didn’t think himself capable. After hearing about Dongmin’s studies, he grew increasingly uncomfortable, something that Dongmin hated witnessing, especially since the man had been nothing but a ray of confidence around him usually. Dongmin, attempting to change the mood, asked –

“If you could study, what would you do?”

Bin didn’t even hesitate. “English. Creative writing. I mean,” he was smiling around his words, his passion too strong it began to seep through his edges. “I want to write travel books, and maybe even novels one day…studying it would just be a dream. And would advance my skills, even.”

“Then do it, Bin. Do it.”

So Bin did. He enrolled in classes right then and there for the upcoming semester, and Dongmin swore to him that he’d help him out wherever he could. Dongmin was reeling on a high at having Bin as a friend, and having it happen so suddenly; whereas Bin was reeling from the same high, but also from finally taking the step towards a higher education that he had been tip-toeing around for so long.

Weeks went by and the routine stayed the same; Bin started his writing classes, and Dongmin suffered through laboratories and field work and strict examinations until soon it was Summer break, and both boys would spend as much time as they could together outside of Bin’s work.

Dongmin was still yet to decide on a place to visit, or if he even still wanted to go. He couldn’t decide because Bin was like _Paris –_ he was true love and romance and tasty treats; he was _India_ for he was vibrant and loud and full of colour; he was England, an old-soul with a love of tea; New Zealand, for he was sweeping, rolling hills and green pasture, giving and giving, and taking nothing; he was Australia, because he was hot and vast and incredibly diverse; and he was _Korea,_ because he was just like _home._

It was after the exam results had been posted that Dongmin came to realise where he wanted to travel. It had been there all along, he wasn’t sure how it had taken him so much time to realise. Bin was working today, as he was most days during the Summer, so Dongmin grabbed the next train to campus and crossed the street.

As usual, Bin was at his desk, and smiled up at Dongmin as he entered. But this time, things were different – Dongmin didn’t give Bin a chance to greet him, to ask if he wanted to something eat or drink; didn’t give him time to ask if he had decided where he wanted to travel yet. Dongmin had beat him to it.

“I know where I want to go.”

Bin stood up, shocked. “What?” He walked around the desk. “You’ve finally chosen somewhere?” Dongmin nodded. Shaking his head in disbelief, he stumbled out a “well, where?” His impatience was audible even in the few brief words.

Dongmin swallowed. “With you.” Bin’s jaw fell slack. “I want to go wherever you go, Binnie. I don’t care where. I just know that it’s gotta be where you are.”

Dongmin was giggling through the kiss that Bin planted on him next, and as he was twirled around in his arms like some kind of fairy-tale princess, Dongmin decided there was no place he’d rather be than in Bin’s arms.  

(They chose Canada, in the end. When they returned to Seoul, Bin was able to finish his travel book, and it went straight to the fiction best-sellers list. Bin hesitated in asking Dongmin to move in with him, but when he did, Dongmin just smiled and said “of course. But let’s write a book together this time, yeah?”)

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi!! [ tumblr](http://magnusbanes.tumblr.com)


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